USPTO Patents Application 10773025

Exhibit 14 to the Request for Inter Partes Re-examination of

In re Patent No: 6,563,415

Issued: May 13,2003

Applicant: Brad A. Armstrong ■

Title: Analog Sensor(s) with Snap-Through Tactile Feedback

128861

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JAPANESE LAID-OPEN UTILITY
MODEL APPLICATION

S53-128861 (1978)
Utility Model Application

March 23, 1977

i

Ishiro KATAYAMA Commissioner, Japan Patent Office

Title of the Design

Pressure Sensitive Switch Mechanism

Designer

Address 2-1-5, Seijo, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
Name Takuji AMASE (with another person)

Utility Model Applicant

Address 2-1 1-24, Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Name Japan Synthetic Rubber Co., Ltd.

Representative President Shinnosuke KATSUMOTO

=p 107

New Akasaka Building, 7F, 3-2-3, Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo
(2038) Attorney Keikichi OKUYAMA (with another person)

52 034965 Formal Examination

•■-•■» --.■«.-■ %*m -i-i • i -./-!.•*• ...v • • • 53 128861 r-.^rv-- mi-— (FukUl) ■v.t-»-.-."3-. >

SPECIFICATION

1

Agent

Address
Name

1 . Title of the d esign

Pressure Sensitive Switch Mechanism

2. Claims

(1) A pressure sensitive switch mechanism characterized by having a switch main body with a
pressure sensitive resistor as a switching element and a spring inverting at a given pressure and so
constructing it that the above pressure sensitive resistor is pushed via the above spring and at least the
pressure sensitive resistor becomes the conductive state when inverting the spring.

(2) The pressure sensitive switch mechanism according to Claim 1 characterized by having the
above.spring that is exchangeable with a spring having a different pressure at the time of inversion.

3. Detailed description of the invention

The present design relates to a pressure sensitive switch mechanism using a pressure sensitive
resistor as a switching element. Specifically, the present design relates to a pressure sensitive switch
mechanism made such that the pressure sensitive resistor and a spring inverting at a given pressure are
combined and the pressure sensitive resistor is pushed via the spring.

Conventional switch structures have generally been constructed from a combination of metal
contacts and a spring, but when the switch is repeatedly used, often troubles such as poor operation
or malfunction, etc. occur due to aging of contacts caused, for example, by a spark discharge between
the contacts or shaking of the contacts accompanied by vibration and impact.

In contrast to such a conventional mechanical switch, a switch using a pressure sensitive
resistor has recently come to be increasingly used, eliminating the drawbacks of a conventional
mechanical switch, has no problems of spark discharge and aging of contacts because there are no
metallic contacts, and there is no poor operation or malfunction accompanied by vibration and impact
and fewere secular changes.

However, a general structure of the switch using such a pressure sensitive resistor is a
structure in which a pressure sensitive resistor is interposed between two electrode plates,

2

accordingly, for example, when the switch is pushed by hand to conduct the ON-OFF operation,
whether the switch becomes the ON state to any degree is not clear and it was difficult to reliably
perceive the ON-OFF operation of the switch. When the ON-OFF operating pressure is changed, a
pressure sensitive resistor having a desirable pressure-sensing force must be prepared to replace it by
a pressure sensitive resistor.

In view of the above circumstance, the purpose of present design is to provide a pressure
sensitive switch mechanism by which a person operating the switch may perceive whether the switch
becomes the ON state or the OFF state, i.e. whether the switch reliably operates or not by a click
feeling, and the operating pressure of the switch may be changed without replacing the pressure
sensitive resistor, and it substantially consists of a pressure sensitive switch mechanism characterized
by having a pressure sensitive resistor and a spring inverting at a given pressure, constituting it so that
the above pressure sensitive resistor is pushed via the above spring and at least the pressure sensitive
resistor becomes the conductive state when inverting the spring.

The present design is described in. detail hereafter with reference to in the drawings.

The pressure sensitive resistor is achieved by dispersing and mixing about 5 ~ 50% by
volume of conductive particles, such as metallic particles or conductive carbon, etc., in an elastic
insulator like rubber or a synthetic resin, such as silicone rubber, SBR, NBR, EPDM, IR, acrylic
rubber, etc. and has is characterized by elastically deforming due to impressed pressure to change the
electrical resistance or conductivity. As is seen in the same drawings, a pressure sensitive resistor is
used as a switching element, the resistance of which is 1 0 5 H-cm or greater in the non-pressure state
and 1 0 3 Cl-cm or below when applying pressure. !

Fig. 2 shows an example of a switch body according to the present design, the structure of
which is the same as that formerly proposed by the present applicant (UM Appl. S51-1 13897). In the
drawing, 1 is a pressure sensitive resistor, 2 is a pressure plate, 3a, 3b are electrode plates, 4 is a
non-conductive member, 5 is an electrode partition plate, 6 is a support, 6a is a stopper, and 7a, 7b are
lead wires. Namely, the pressure plate 2 is arranged upside of pressure sensitive resistor 1, the two
electrode plates 3a, 3b are arranged downside, and the non-conductive member 4 having elasticity is

arranged around them. Electrode plates 3a, 3b are insulated from each other by the insulative .-.„..-.-,-.

electrode partition plate 5 arranged between them. A support 6 is arranged downside of electrode

3 ■

I

plates 3a, 3b, with a stopper 6a protruding to the upper pressure plate 2 being formed at the rim of the
support 6. A prescribed spacing 1 is provided between the upper end of stopper 6a and the pressure
plate 2. If the pressure plate 2 is pushed down for only a distance 1, it makes contact with the stopper
6a. The lead wires 7a, 7b are connected to the above electrode plates 3a, 3b, respectively.

In this switch body, if pressure is impressed on the pressure plate 2 to compress the pressure
sensitive resistor 1, the electric resistance of pressure sensitive resistor 1 is reduced, and a lead wire
7a - electrode plate 3a - pressure sensitive resistor 1 - electrode plate 3b - lead wire 7b circuit is
formed to become the conductive state. Then, if a pressure is impressed, the pressure plate 2 is in
touch with the stopper 6a to control the compressive deformation received by the electrode partition
plate 5 and prevent it from excessive compression.

This switch body may prevent the mechanical aging caused by excessive compression
because it is provided with a stopper 6a, and it almost has no aging of the electrode plates
accompanied by repeated use because the distortion of electrode plates 3a, 3b when applying
pressure is reduced by using the mounting positions of the electrode plates 3a, 3b as the bottom
surface of the pressure sensitive resistor 1, and also has the features of excellent environment
resistance, etc. because the contacts of pressure sensitive resistor 1 and electrode plates 3a, 3b are
completely sealed.

Fig. 3 is a sectional conceptual drawing showing the pressure sensitive switch mechanism
relating to the present design using the switch body shown in Fig. 2.

In this pressure sensitive switch mechanism, as shown in the drawing, a switch body 8 is
arranged in the lower part in a case 9 via holding members 10a, 10b. Switch body 8 is same as the
switch body shown in Fig. 2, and attached numbers are also same as Fig. 2. This switch body 8 is so
arranged that the pressure plate 2 thereof becomes the upside, above which is arranged a pressure rod
11 is arranged above it. The upper end of pressure rod 11 is fixed to a spring 12 inverting at a given

pressure. The shape of spring 12 is invertible and convex relative to the above like a plate spring. A

i

rubber sheet or diaphragm 13 covering the switch mechanism is arranged immediately on the spring

Accordingly, if the rubber sheet or diaphragm 13 is pushed with a finger or another pushing

4 '

I

means, a pressure force is applied to the spring 12 to invert the spring 12, the pressure rod 11 fixed to
the spring 12 by this inversion pushes the pressure plate 2 of switch body 8 arranged below the
pressure rod 11, the pressure sensitive resistor 1 becomes the conductive state and the lead wires 7a,
7b become the conductive state. Namely, this pressure sensitive switch mechanism operates at a
given pressure needed for the inversion of the spring.

On the other hand, when pressure is applied to the spring 12 to invert the spring 12, a click
feeling is generated by the repulsive force, and the person operating the switch may perceive that the
switch is reliably operating. The pressure needed for the inversion may be set to a prescribed pressure
by using the rubber sheet or diaphragm 13 and selecting the material and shape of spring 12, therefore
the ON-OFF operating pressure of switch may be arbitrarily selected without changing the pressure
sensitive resistor 1.

Fig. 4 shows the pressure-distortion characteristic of spring used in the pressure sensitive
switch mechanism and the operating state of a switch based on this characteristic. Namely, the
distortion of the spring increases with a rise of pressure, the inversion is caused when reaching a
prescribed pressure P2, and the switch goes from the OFF state to the ON state at this point in time.
Subsequently, the distortion starts to lower with the reduction of pressure, the spring inverts again at
some pressure Pi and the switch returns to the OFF state.

The pressure sensitive switch mechanism relating to the present design is not restricted to the
illustrated example. For example, it may be a switch for performing the ON-OFF operation by
applying pressure using a pressure sensitive resistor as the switch body, and the switch may also be a
shape made invertible at a given pressure using metal, resin or rubber, etc. as the material. Other
various modifications of structure are also possible so long as they do not exceed the essence of the
present design.

As described above, the pressure sensitive switch mechanism relating to the present design
pushes the pressure sensitive resistor via the spring inverting at a given pressure, therefore the spring
operates at a prescribed pressure needed for the inversion of spring, and a person operating the switch
may reliably perceive the operation of the switch by a click feeling at the time of inverting the spring.
The function of pressure detection termination may be discerned from the fact that the pressure
required for the inversion may be set to a prescribed pressure by selecting the material and shape of

5 .

spring. Accordingly, this pressure sensitive switch mechanism may be applied to a pressure switch,
a pressure safety device, etc.

4, Brief description of the drawings

Fig. 1 is a graph showing the relationship between the volume inherent resistance value and
the compressiveness of a corresponding pressure sensitive resistor used in a pressure sensitive switch
mechanism according to the present design versus the impressed pressure of the pressure sensitive
resistor;

Fig. 2 is a sectional conceptual drawing showing an example of a switch body using the
pressure sensitive resistor as the switching element;

Fig. 3 is a sectional conceptual drawing showing an example of a pressure sensitive switch *
mechanism according to the present design, and

Fig. 4 shows the pressure-distortion characteristic of the spring and the operating state of the
switch based on this characteristic.
1 pressure sensitive resistor

I pressure plate
3a, 3b electrode plates

4 non-conductive member

5 electrode partition plate

6 support
6a stopper
7a, 7b lead wires

8 switch body

9 case

10a, 10b holding members

II pressure rod

12 spring

13 rubber sheet or diaphragm

5. List of attached documents

(1) Specification

(2) Drawings

(3) Duplicate of application

(4) Letter of attorney

6. Inventor and agents other than the above

(1) Inventor

Address 2- 1 0- 16, Ishikawa-cho, Ota-ku, Tokyo

Name Satoshi MATSUMOTO

(2) Agent =f 107

Address New Akasaka Building, 7F, 3-2-3, Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Name (6006) Attorney Hisao OKUYAMA

[Fig. 1]

Volume inherent, resistance value

Pressure (kg/cm )

Compressibility (%)

7

[Fig. 2]
[Fig. 3]
(Fig. 4]

Distortion (Q-cm)

Pressure (kg/cm 2 )

State of circuit (%)

8